How to Use Clairol Root Touch-Up: Strand Test, 10 Minutes, and How Long It Lasts

Short answer: Clairol's directions for the original permanent Root Touch-Up are short. Do a strand test 48 hours before. Mix the color tube and the activator bottle in the bowl, brush the mix onto your roots without missing spots, and set a timer for 10 minutes, or 15 for stubborn grays. Then rinse and condition. Clairol says the result is 100% gray coverage that lasts up to 3 weeks. Root Touch-Up by Natural Instincts and Total Root Touch-Up use 20 minutes instead.

What is in the box

Clairol lists the contents of the original kit as a permanent color cream, an activator, a brush and bowl, a pair of gloves and an instruction leaflet. The leaflet is the final word for your box, so read it before you start.

Step by step

1. 48 hours before: do the strand test from Clairol's directions. For Root Touch-Up by Natural Instincts Clairol lists a patch test 48 hours before, and for Total Root Touch-Up a skin allergy test and a strand test. The US FDA advises a patch test every time before you dye your hair.
2. Set up: put an old towel round your shoulders, part your hair where you normally wear it, and put on the gloves.
3. Mix: empty tube 1 and bottle 2 into the bowl and blend them with the brush.
4. Apply: start at the part and hairline, where gray shows first, and brush the mix onto the new growth. Clairol says to make sure you do not miss any spots.
5. Time it: 10 minutes, or 15 for stubborn grays. For Natural Instincts and Total, Clairol says 20 minutes.
6. Rinse and condition: rinse until the water runs clear, then condition.

Which roots one tube is made for

Clairol's FAQ answers a common complaint, that there is not enough product for a whole head of roots. Its answer is that Nice'n Easy Root Touch-Up is designed for the most visible roots, the hairline and part. If all your roots need color, Clairol recommends its original full Nice'n Easy kit instead.

How long it lasts

Clairol's FAQ says the permanent cream lasts 3 weeks or until your roots grow out. The color does not wash out. What happens is that new hair grows in without color, so after a few weeks a line of gray appears again at the part.

Between kits, many people bridge the gap with a temporary cover. See root touch-up between colors.

Three things that go wrong

• Judging the shade by the cream. Clairol's FAQ says the color of the tint in the tube is not the final color result.
• Leaving it on longer. The FDA tells consumers not to leave hair dye on longer than the directions say.
• Picking the shade by the picture. Match the number to the color you already wear. Clairol says the original matches leading shades, even salon color.

How the numbers and the letters A, G and R work is in Clairol Root Touch-Up colors.

When a temporary cover makes more sense

A permanent kit needs the 48-hour test first, so it does not help if the event is tomorrow. It also commits you to the color until it grows out. If you only need the gray hidden for a day or a weekend, a powder or spray is simpler.

Clairol's own temporary options are compared in Clairol powder vs spray, and timing tips for a big day are in root cover before an event.

Where does BUNEE fit?

BUNEE is a temporary root-cover powder in a pressed compact with a mirror and applicator puff. It comes in 12 shades: Black, Dark Brown, Medium Brown, Light Brown, Golden Brown, Auburn, Blonde, Medium Blonde, Light Blonde, Dark Grey, Grey and White. It washes out with shampoo and is not a dye. Nothing to mix and no timer: press it on dry roots and wash it out at your next shampoo. Delivery is 10 to 17 business days, so order ahead of the date you need it.

FAQ

How long do you leave Clairol Root Touch-Up on?

Clairol says 10 minutes for the original permanent kit, or 15 for stubborn grays. Root Touch-Up by Natural Instincts and Total Root Touch-Up use 20 minutes.

Do I need a strand test for Clairol Root Touch-Up?

Clairol's directions say to do a strand test 48 hours before coloring. The FDA advises a patch test on the skin every time before dyeing your hair.

How long does Clairol Root Touch-Up last?

Clairol's FAQ says 3 weeks or until your roots grow out.

Why does the Clairol cream look a different color from my shade?

Clairol's FAQ says the color of the tint in the tube is not the final color result.

Is one Clairol Root Touch-Up enough for all my roots?

Clairol says it is designed for the most visible roots, the hairline and part. For all your roots it recommends its full Nice'n Easy kit.

Sources, checked 2 November 2026: Clairol, Root Touch-Up 5 Medium Brown, directions · Clairol, Root Touch-Up by Natural Instincts · Clairol, Total Root Touch-Up · Clairol, Root Touch-Up FAQ · US FDA, Hair dyes · BUNEE, shades and delivery. Brand names are used for comparison only. We have no business relationship with the companies mentioned, and facts about their products come from their own pages or retailer listings, not our testing.